


A place to call our own.

by FreeShavocadoo



Category: HiGH&LOW (Movies), HiGH&LOW: the Story of S.W.O.R.D. (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M, Multi, first encounters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-16 06:09:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15430674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreeShavocadoo/pseuds/FreeShavocadoo
Summary: Miou and Akune both struggle to contemplate a place to call their own, until now.





	A place to call our own.

Try as he might, Miou cannot remember a time before Akune.

His life had always been a bad mix of poor relationships, bad circumstance and shifting environments. There were few things that had ever been constant in his life that were genuinely good and Akune was one of them. He’d seen plenty of faces in foster care, plenty of people. People with dead eyes, people who looked hopeful, people who walked so folded in on themselves that it was a wonder they didn’t collapse. If foster care had set him up for one thing in life, it was that you were unlikely to get what you want and that isolation brought out the absolute worst in people. When Miou lands himself in Rasen, he finds few differences between prison and the place he grew up in. The cracks of society were all slipped through by these people, addicts, fighters, people who ran into trouble and those that were trying to run away from it. Miou wouldn’t class himself as innocent by any stretch of the imagination, perhaps more a victim of circumstance. You can’t grow up fighting for the right to live and not be left damaged.

Akune on the other hand, had known family from a young age. Just not a very reliable one. His mother and father argued frequently, from what he’d told Miou. His mother was addicted to the needle and his father to the drink, neither had room for much else. Though he says he at least grew up with a roof over his head, Miou knows that Akune was kicked out on more than one occasion, told to find money to cover the costs of living expenses and drug addictions, neither of which were sustainable when only one parent was employed doing manual labour. So Akune did go out, working night shifts and morning shifts doing manual labour, the kind of job that had people turning their nose up at him even though he was making an honest living. He’d get into fights often, he told Miou, because he didn’t accept being looked down on. So when he was caught one day at home, the house stripped of the money he’d been saving, little else left but a setup of heroin and some needles that were abandoned in his parents haste, he was resolved that he’d never be walked over again.

By the time the prison gang was half put together, Miou was the first to be approached by Jesse. He’d seen Jesse fighting, like a street dog backed into a corner and he just _knew,_ he knew that this was his calling. Some people fought for power, some for safety. For prison gang, it was solidarity. There wasn’t any pious morality behind it, they were all too far gone for that, society had seen to it and so had their fists. But when Jesse grins and asks him to join them, he says yes. At the time, it is just Jesse, Nakamon, Brown and Miou and that already suited Miou well enough. He still didn’t stay around them much to begin with, not wanting to fully commit until he was certain.

Then, in swooped Akune. He was rough around the edges, older than Miou and his eyes showed it. They weren’t tired or void, they just looked like they’d seen enough of the world to have formed a final opinion on it. Whilst Miou is under no reservations about his sexual preferences, Akune is against every type he may have had growing up. His face was hard, absent of soft curves or slopes, his eyes were usually narrowed as though waiting for something to strike. His facial hair and hair was scruffy in general, but Miou found it worked for him. When he spoke, his voice was kind of raspy and gravelly but it was offset by his rather odd sense of humour and tendency to joke in unlikely situations.

For Akune, Miou was a complete U-turn. He was short, soft-faced, he had kind eyes even though Akune just knew he was not one to be walked over. He laughed quietly, covering his mouth as though he didn’t want anyone to see him happy, like it was a bad thing, keeling over like he couldn’t contain his laughter for one second longer. Sometimes he would catch Akune staring, when they properly knew one another and his eyes would just flicker, like Akune was worth more than just a glance, as though he had to be fully acknowledged every single time.

Miou can barely pinpoint exactly when they’d met, he was sure it was during a fight. When Miou had managed to be put in the centre of a mass brawl, he was happily kicking his way out of things when a man the size of a brick wall suddenly entered the fray, heading straight for Miou. For the first time in a long time, Miou’s heart was in his throat until Akune swung out of nowhere, kicking the guy in the stomach before lifting his leg up high and slamming it down onto the mans back with such force he crumpled on the floor in one go. Miou could barely speak, entranced by this display of pure power, wanting nothing more than to test himself, to see if he could possibly compare. So naturally, he runs straight towards Akune and swings his leg into his side as hard as he can, satisfied when Akune slides to the side, until Akune grabs onto his leg, trapping it under his arm.

“Hey there, baby face.” He grins, yanking Miou’s leg so hard that he falls right into Akune, muffling a squeak and grabbing onto Akune’s shirt to have _something_ to ground himself with. Unfortunately, that results in Akune landing on his back still holding onto Miou’s leg, Miou’s fingers tangled in his shirt. Akune laughs, a proper belly laugh, resulting in Miou giggling awkwardly as the force of Akune’s laugh seems to make him slide off the man slowly, finally having his leg released from the iron grip it was in.

“Not bad.” Miou smiles, sitting up and brushing himself off. “I’m Miou.”

“Akune.” He replies, grinning. His smile is surprisingly warm and Miou feels instantly comforted by it, an odd sense of calm washing over him. He isn’t sure why but he’s always been a creature of instinct and he knows that if Akune had have had any intention to hurt him back then, he would have done so right away.

Not long after, they join in one of Brown’s infamous fights, which if Miou remembers was over someone stepping on the back of his shoe, resulting in it falling off. Miou was hardly one to question the necessity for fighting so he just ran straight in, kicking his way through man after man. It’s then he sees Akune again, who shoots him a quick grin. When Akune leans down on one knee, hands braced together in front of him, Miou knows it’s the beginning of something great as he runs and gets one leg up into Akune’s hands, who springs him upwards for his final kick. Brown demands that the pair be added to the group, much to Jesse’s amusement, Brown being completely unaware that Jesse had already spoken with Miou. Although, Miou appreciated it all the same. It was rather telling of their entire ensuing relationship, that they were added as a pair.

There was no Akune without Miou and no Miou without Akune.

 

* * *

 

 

 

“What you thinkin’ about?” Akune flops down beside Miou on the couch, moving his arm around the back of the seat instantly. It was late afternoon and everyone else was out, at the Funk Jungle, Miou assumes. Their apartment was empty other than them.

“Just glad to be here.” He replies, moving closer until he reaches Akune’s side, practically melding into it, filling all the spaces. “Never had a place to call my own before.”

“Yeah, me neither.” Akune stares at him, a look so gentle that Miou can feel his cheeks burning and his heart racing. Akune runs his fingers through Miou’s hair, his own eyes closing as though the motion brought him comfort. It makes Miou feel happy, that he can bring Akune comfort without having to actually do anything.

“So. What do you wanna do?” Mocai turns to look at Akune, tickling under his chin affectionately.

“Dunno. Anything with you is good for me.” Akune replies, his eyes crinkling. “My little ray of sunshine.”

“Anything? At all?” Miou can’t help the rise in his voice, the excitement. The prospect of being able to do anything should’ve been a given at his age and yet being free to do as he pleases is still a new feeling. “Can we go shopping?”

“Sure thing. For anything in particular?” Akune smiles indulgently, stroking Miou’s cheek and getting completely lost in his own affections when Miou starts pouting in concentration.

“I want to get some stuff for the apartment.” Miou finally decides, looking around. “I’ve never been able to decorate my own room.”

“Well then, let’s get going.” Akune stands up, disappearing into one of the bedrooms before returning, holding Miou’s jacket out and helping him put it on. Miou is overwhelmed with the urge to kiss him, so he does, wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. Akune laughs into the kiss, his stubble ticklish against Miou’s chin but not unpleasant, always a receptive kisser.

“C’mon, if we don’t leave now we’re never going to.” Akune chuckles, kissing the top of Miou’s head.

When they leave, the streets are relatively quiet, most people going about their everyday business. It’s a cold afternoon and Miou is thankful that Akune picked out his warmest coat, bustling under it and bracing himself against the wind. Akune wraps an arm around his waist, moving him closer.

“You good?” He whispers, giving Miou’s hip a quick squeeze.

“Yeah, yeah I’m great!” Miou replies, genuinely excited. He doesn’t know anything about decorating but he supposes it’s down to preference and what he thinks will make the place look like a home. So when they reach the rather scruffy around the edges furniture shop, the only one in town, it’s full of odd knick-knacs and random assortments of items.

Miou decides he wants to get one item for everyone, so he grabs Akune’s hand and starts walking down the impossibly small aisles, eyeing up all of the furniture and accessories. His fingers run over old jewellery boxes, small statues, lamp shades, candle holders. There’s so much to choose from that Miou is almost excited to the point of light-headedness to see it all, to see what he can find that will just make their apartment _theirs_.

The first item he decides on is a pair of curtains, they are blackout curtains, thick fabric. But what caught Miou’s eye was the leopard print pattern over the front of them both, screaming Jesse so loudly that Miou would’ve been an idiot not to pick them up. It helps that Jesse loves sleeping in, so it’s an added bonus that now he won’t whine that the sun poking through the window has woken him up. Akune just chuckles, nodding approvingly before taking them from Miou’s hand to carry them.

Next, a big fur blanket, a beautiful deep brown colour, soft to the touch. Miou knows that Pho loves fur and that he tends to enjoy snuggling under a blanket when he’s sat on the sofa, especially when any one of them is beside him, so he hands it to Akune who smiles. Miou can practically see Pho under it as he looks at it, smiling at the thought.

When Miou rounds the corner, his eyes are greeted with all of the bathroom items, rows of random necessities from bathroom mirrors, toothbrush holders all the way to bathrobes. Then, he sees the most obnoxious floral printed bathrobe, the softest fabric in the world. He barely has time to even glance twice before he picks it up and turns to Akune.

“Brown?” He asks with a laugh, putting it on the pile currently rising in his hands.

“Yeah.” Miou replies, giggling a little at the mental image of Brown in a fluffy floral bathrobe. Maybe he is also buying it because Brown will probably pull it off somehow.

Another row is full up of candles, endless scents filling the air and Miou knows that Mocai has a weakness for candles, finding them to be completely relaxing when he’s feeling particularly anxious or struggling to calm down. So he takes the time to smell a few of the candles, trying to pinpoint a scent that Mocai would like. He knows that he’s partial to lavender for when he’s stressed, so he picks a lavender candle up and continues on, not wanting to overload Akune’s arms much more as Akune walks quietly behind him.

The next aisle is full of picture frames of all sizes, some with multiple small picture frames attached to one another and Miou suddenly has a brainwave.

“Doesn’t Nakamon always take pictures on Pearl’s polaroid and steal them?” He turns to Akune, who stares thoughtfully before nodding in response.

“Yeah. He prints a lot of his own shit off too, Bernie’s helped him with loads he took when he went away for the weekend with Mocai.” He replies.

So Miou tucks one of the frames under his arm, one with a black border, since Nakamon is rather minimalist in comparison to the others and continues on.

When his eyes land on the next object, he hurries around the corner away from Akune, not wanting him to spot it before he does. It’s a small little sculpture, about the size of both of Miou’s hands. On one side is a delicately carved sun, beautiful blazing colours of orange and yellow and red. The other side is the moon, greys blacks and navy. Miou knows he’s probably the biggest sap in the world for thinking of him, him and Akune, but he can’t help it. Of course he would only see them both in the same thing.

“You’re such a baby.” Akune murmurs, nuzzling his head against Miou’s neck, since Akune is still occupied with holding most of the other items. “I love it.”

So he walks home, carrying the bags with their items for their new home in. Of course, there’s plenty of other stuff he grabbed to flesh the place out but these specific things, he thinks, _these_ are what makes a house a home.

And now they finally have a place to call home.

**Author's Note:**

> Practically a counterpart to 'the vacation' and all my other PG fics. Enjoy.


End file.
